It comes at this time every year. It's the season for perch fishing, and my brother Rick just can't help himself. He starts making calls to see if there's ice safe enough to allow fishing for perch at Banks Lake or Fish Lake, anywhere that he knows that these mini-walleye gather for spawning. His friends shake their heads. This is the guy who is legendary for salmon and lake trout fishing on Lake Chelan. He has caught steelhead by the score on Northwest waters. I've seen him battle marlin in Hawaii. But this time of year, if you mention the word perch, his eyes glaze over and just like Homer Simpson he utters, "Uhhmm---purrrhhhrrrch." It's out of control. read more...

Bill McGuire and Buzz Fiorini had each spent careers in the professional fishing and hunting industry that spanned over fifty years. They were both aware of each other’s reputations and accomplishments. They had attended the same outdoor shows and exhibitions at the same time and place over the years, but had never actually met face to face. That finally happened in March of 2000 in Rock Island, Washington, and the outcome was the launch of yet another enterprise by the two fly rod-and-line building experts. They combined their expertise to develop a new fly-casting system that allows novice and physically restricted casters to toss a line 60 to 90 feet with ease. read more...

Ever fish a lake or stream, and tell yourself that you’d go back there sometime? Maybe the fishing wasn’t that great, but you could see the potential and wanted to give it another try. Buffalo Lake on Colville Indian Reservation in North Central Washington was one of these for me, and this year I did something about it. If fished it once, briefly, about three years ago and always planned to go back. I finally made it this year, and if I had known what kind of surprises were waiting for me, I would not have let those years pass without giving Buffalo Lake a visit. read more...

There's something about winter at Rufus Woods Reservoir. On February 23rd of 1998 Robert Halverson landed a 25-pound, .45-ounce triploid rainbow. This beat the old state record that had stood for decades by nearly 3 pounds. This past season, it was broken again. Tim Hill of Twisp landed a 25-pound, 11 ½-ounce brute on January 8th. Yeah, there's something about winter at Rufus Woods. read more...

If you haven’t experienced the thrill of catching a steelhead, you’ll want to give it a try. Here are some basic tackle elements that are used here in North Central Washington for catching these prizes. read more...

It was over 12 years ago now that I first paid to fish a pond. I was traveling home to Seattle with my daughter, who was about six years old at the time, and when we passed a U-Fish sign outside of Cle Elum I turned off the highway. My daughter hooked and landed a 22-inch rainbow all by herself, and when we were leaving she said, “Gee Dad, now I’m a real fisher just like you!” I’ll never forget how she beamed at me with pride, and I think this is why so many anglers will visit pay to play lakes: memories. read more...

I took my own advice about heading for northern Okanogan County to get away from the crowds on Memorial Weekend. I also took the opportunity to fish a lake that I had driven by on numerous occasions. Both decisions paid off, and provided for a great weekend of angling on Curlew Lake. read more...

The strength of the return of summer-run salmon to the upper Columbia River has been so great in recent years that the Department of Fish and Wildlife is even printing a season for these fish in the regulation pamphlet. This is welcome news for anglers throughout the state, and they are flocking to the Central Washington stretch of the Columbia in droves. read more...